Spring-suspended frame for automobiles.



F. GUENTHER.

SPRING SUSPENDED FRAME FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATOH FILED IAN. ll, 1916.

Patented Muy 2S), 1917.

FRIED GUENTHER, OF LOS A'NGELESgCALIFORNIAn YSraINd'-'sUsrEikTnEn FRAME ron-AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed January-11, 1916. Serial No. 71,459.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRED GUENTHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inSpring-Suspended Frames for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a frame for vehicles, and especiallyfor automobiles, and is designed to act as a shock absorber.l

It is an object of this invention to construct a frame for automobiles which is suspended from springs in such a way as to absorb and counter-act jars and cumulated vibrations incident on roughness in the road,

- or a high degree of spec With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists lin the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, I have illustrated a convenient and practical embodiment ,of my invention, and in which,

Figure 1, isa longitudinal vertical cross section taken on line 1-1, Fig. 2, of my 1m.-

proved automobile frame showing its mounting on the front and rear axle.

Fig 2, is a top plan View thereof.

Figs. 3, and4, are front and rear views, respectively, of the frame shown in Fig. 2.'v

A designates a lower rectangular frame, y

consisting of a pair of side members 10, 10` and a pair of cross' members, 11 denoting the front cross-member, andl 12 the `rearcr'ossmember. This frame A is disposed below 1 the front and rear axles 13, 14. The ends of the side members of the frame extend below and outwardly in front and at the rear of; axles 13, 14, and are curved slightly 11pwardly. The front cross-member is 1n vertical alinement with the front axle 13, while the rear cross member 1 2 is disposed at some distance in the rear of'rear axle 14. V

415, 15 designate a' pair of "s'emielliptical 'i leaf springs having upwardly curving ends'.

These springs are mounted on the front axle 13, and extend parallel to and in a vertical plane above the side members 10, 10. .The

springs" are secured to the front'axle so that a small length of spring extends in front;

anda greater length to the rear of the front axle 13. They are secured to the axle in any suitable manner, such as a spring cushion 16 and spring clips 16.

The spring 15 is provided at its forward end with an eye, and a bolt 17 pivotally connects said spring to -a pair of lateral ears 18, extending upwardly from the ends of the forwardend of'side member 10. The rear end Aof the spring 15 is pivotally connected to the side member 10 by means of a shackle 19.' 4

The frame A is suspended from the rear axle 14 as follows:

A pair of semi-elliptical leaf springs 20, having upwardly curving ends is secured to the rear axle 14 by means of a spring cushion 21, and a clip 21. Rear springs 20 are of greater length than front `springs 15, and are secured to the rear axle 14 at their middle points. The rear springs 20 extend above, and in a plane adjacent and parallel to the outer faces of the side members 10. A horizontal pin 22 extending laterally from the rear end of the sidemember passes l through the eye provided at the rear end of ber 10. A spacing washer 25 is interposed on the shackle bolt between the side member and the shackle. l

A rectangular upper frame B, having side members' 26, and a front cross-member 27, and a rear cross-member 28 extends above and in parallel relation to frame A. Said frame is smaller than frame A and is disposed above and spaced from the periphery ofthe lower frame. Thel front cross-member 27 is spaced a slight distance from. the front axle and vertically below the center of springs 15,l while the rear cross-member 28 `is vertically above the rearcross-member 12 of the lower frame A. 31 denotes'a pair of .front springs, and 32 a pair of rearsprings which are semi-elliptical in shape with downwardly turning ends and connect the upper frame to the lower rame.

- A horizontal pin 30 extending laterally from the inside of the side member of the lower frame ata point adjacent to the frontcross-member 11 pivotally engages the eye 'of the forward end of the spring 31. A spacing A spacing washer 33 is interposed between the side member 10 and the spring. The rear end of spring 3l is pivctally connected. to side inember 26 by means of a shackle 34. At the g center 'of the spring a-pair of perforated ears 35 are pivotally connected by a pin 36 to perforated lug 3?, the latter extending vertically downwardly from the side member 26.` l@ lherear spring 32 is connected to the lowerand upper frames as follows:

38 designates a pin, arranged vertically below the rear axle extending horizontally from the' side member l0. 'A shackle 39 is suspended therefrom which engages the reary 'end of spring 32. 40' is a spacing washer, interposed between the shackle 39 and side lmember l0, il are the ears, i2 is the pin, 43

` 'isthe' lug 'and 44 is the shackle connecting 2@ 'the forward end of spring 32 to side member 2 6. It should be noted that the rear portions ofthe side member 26 of the upper ""frainewf/(irm an upper curve above the lrear Iaxle/for the purpose of allowing greater ver- 125 tical up and down movements of said frame when the vehicle is traveling. 'From the foregoing desc'riptionthe op eration of the improved vehicle frame will be easily understood. The spring mounted 3a lower frame, which is one of the standard vehicle'frames in common use, will act as r a shock absorber. The' upper frame, spring mounted' to the lowerv frame, will absorb the shockscommunicated to it from the i '35 lower frame, thereby reducing the same to a minimum,l and-effecting an easy riding motion of the body of' the vehicle. ,lt should be notedthat the front springs and rear springs of the upper and lower frame a@ are of the same length', respectively, and that the rear ends of the front springs of the lower frame are in approximately horizontal alinement with the centers of the front springs of the upper frame, and that 45 the forward ends of the rear springs of the lower frame are in approximately horizontal alinement with the centers of the rear springs of the upper frame. ilfhis y 'arrangement facilitates the absorption of ..50 shocks and vibrations of the vehicle.- By

pivoting the outer ends. of the springs 31 c and 32, which support the upper frame, at points,A vsubstantially vertically below the axles, and by arranging the pivoted centers 55of said springs at points lying substan ltially in vertical planes passing through the inner ends of the springs l5 and 20, which support thel underslung frame I 10, the shocks and vibrations encountered by @u the traveling vehicle are evenly. vdistrib-y uted. The iiexing of thesprings supporting the lower frame are counteracted by" the flexing o f the :intermediate which support the upper frame.

t5 Variouschangesin" the construction and pivoted at .their outer ends tosaid lower springs elliptical v.front springs secured to said .front axle, said springs supporting the forward end -of said frame, a pair of semielliptical rear springs secured to said rearv axle, said springs supporting the rear end of said frame, an upper frame of .smallerl dimensions than said-lower frame arranged above said axles, a pair of semi-elliptical front springs', and a pair of semi-elliptical rear springs yieldingly connecting said `lower frarneto said upper frame at points intermediate the ends thereof, said frame connectingspri'ngs being pivoted Aat their inner endsand their centers to the upper, side of said upper frame and pivoted at their outer ends to said )lower frame at points lying in a vertical plane passing' through the centers of the front and rear axle springs, respectively, the centers of said frame connecting springs being in longitudinal alinement with the outer ends of the adjacent axle springs.

2. In combination, a front and a rear axle of a vehicle,'a lower frame arranged below said axles, a pair of front springs secured to said frontaxle from which the forwardend of said frame is suspended, a pair of rearv springs from whichthe rear end of said.. frame is suspended, an upper frame arranged above said axles, a pair'cf front springs, anda pair of rear springs yieldingly 'connecting said lower frame to said upper frame at 'points intermediate the ends thereof, 'said frame connecting springs being pivoted'at theirinner 'ends and their centers to said upper frame, and

Miti

frame, the centers of said frame connecting springs `,being in longitudinal' alinement withjthe. outer ends-'of the adjacent axle springs. f

3. ln' combination, a front and a rear gte axle of a. vehicle, a lower frame arrangedbelow said axles, apair of front'springs secured to said front axlefrora which the forward-end of said frame is suspended, al pair of rear springs secured to said rear axle from which the rear end ef said frame is suspended, an upper frame arranged above said lower frame, a pair of front springs, and a pair of rear springs yieldingly connecting said lower frame to said 125 l upper frame at points,A intermediate the ends thereof, said frame connectingl sprin s' being pivoted at their inner ends and their centers to said upper frame and pivoted at their outer ends to said lower frame at 13o points lying in `a vertical plane passing through the centers of the front and rear springs, respectively.

4. In combination, a front and a rear axle of a vehicle, a rigid underslung frame, a set of superposed semi-elliptical springs mounted on said axles, and Whereon said frame is hung, a set of intermediate semielliptieal springs supported by said frame,

an upper frame wholly supported by said intermec'liate springs, the outer ends of said intermediate springs being pivoted to said lower frame, swinging pivots connecting the inner ends of said intermediate springs to said upper frame, and a rigid fulerum for each of said intermediate springs pivotally connecting them with said upper` frame at points intermediate their ends.

'In Combinatioma front and a rear axle of a vehicle, a rigid underslung frame, a set of superposed springs tapering toward their opposite ends and mounted on said axles, said springs supporting said frame, a set of intermediate springs tapering toward their opposite ends and supported .by said frame, an upper frame Wholly supported by said intermediate springs, said upper frame being in substantially the same plane as said axles, the outer ends of said intermediate springs being pivoted to vsprings pivotally connecting them with said upper frame at their ends.

6. In combination`v a front and a rear axle of a vehicle, a rigid underslung frame, a set of superposed springs mounted on said axles and Whereon said frame is hung, a set of intermediate springs supported by said frame, anupper frame Wholly supported by said intermediate springs, the outer ends ofsaid intermediate springs being pivoted to said lower frame, movable pivots Connecting the inner ends of said intermediate springs to said upper frame, and a rigid fulerum for each of said yintermediate springs pivotally connecting them with said upper frame'at points intermedia-te their ends.

points intermediate In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED GUENTHER. 

